Port Victoria, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, April 2013

 

This blog takes in our whole trip, so it is fairly long, we hope you enjoy our musings. 🙂

6 April 2013

Home to Port Victoria Yorke Peninsula  199km

We got away around 8:50am for the easy 2 1/2 hour drive north. Since we couldn’t check in too early at the caravan park, we took a detour via Kadina.

Not much happens in Kadina on a Saturday morning, so we sat in the car and listened to the Quiz on the ABC. (Deb keeps threatening to get us on it one day!!)

We eventually drove down to Port Vic and arrived just before lunch. Check in was simple and we drove down to our waterfront site. After a couple of adjustments we got the van reversed in without any real problems, apparently we impressed the locals getting our ‘big’ van into a tight spot so easily!! Guess we got some good Van Park Cred there!!!  LOL

After we got all set up we went for a walk out on the jetty, and then a drive around town to orientate ourselves and see what was around. Well the drive took at least 5 minutes (maybe 10 if you count the time spent looking at the boat ramp!).

Back to the van and we had lunch. It’s so good to be able to have nice food with you and being able to knock up a delicous lunch, rather than chance it with the local takeaway!!

Around 3pm I got my fishing gear together and went out along the jetty to see what was out there. I had been told that they have been getting a few Garfish, Tommy Ruff and Squid. Seems like the Blue Swimmer Crabs have gone for the time being. 🙁

In the 2 hours I was out there, there wasn’t too much caught. A few people seemed to be getting some squid and nothing else.  After an hour or so I hadn’t even had a bite, and I saw a couple of very nice squid brought in. A change of spot changed my luck, I finally got a couple of near hook-ups, I think I just may have tried to set my jig a little early a couple of times. Finally I got a squid hooked up on my new rod (a christmas pressie from Deb). It was the biggest squid I have ever caught. You’ll have to check out the picture for size :-). I was also impressed that I managed to land the monster without being sprayed in ink!  After loosing another, I finally called it a day and headed back with tea in the bucket. 🙂

I hope my squid cleaning skills improve a bit over the week, I was a bit messy, and so was the squid, after I finished cleaning it. (I really should have paid more attention to Tom when he cleaned the squid last time we were up this way!)

Any way, fresh squid panfried with chilli jam and a beautiful salad made a delicous finish to our first day at Port Vic.

Port Victoria 7 April 2013

After spending an hour trying to sign up for Telstra mobile broadband, with no success (the Telstra site was down for an upgrade, not that they let anyone know, FAIL!!) We started the day with a quick stop up the hill to get our emails and things. The 3G reception here (with Optus) is patchy at best.

From there we set out for sprawling metropolis of Curramulka, and their monthly Farmers Market. We arrived, after our 48km drive, to find that the 1st Sunday of the Month Farmers Market was held 2 weeks ago, must be country time, go figure huh!

Not to be detered we kept on going and drove to Stansbury, just for a look around seeing we were in the neighbourhood (it was only another 30km). Stansbury, is a quiet little coastal village, particularly quiet on a Sunday morning, with a pub, caravan park and holiday homes. We did discover that the meaning of gourmet cakes is different in the country than the ‘big smoke’. I guess it all depends what you measure against. 🙂

We decided to drive home via, Minlaton, the ‘Capital’ of the Southern Yorke Peninsula. Very quiet here too. 🙂

We arrived back at Port Vic around 1pm, it was a pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning, although it probably stretched the idea of a Sunday Drive just a bit.

After lunch I headed out onto the jetty to test my luck again.

3 hours later I returned to Deb and Aiko with 15’ish squid in my bucket (15 is the legal bag limit, so that is what I got, 🙂 ). It was so much fun. Apparently I was smiling just a bit when I got back and showed Deb my catch. lol

It took me an hour to clean the squid. After yesterdays poor effort, I tried a couple of ways to clean them before settling on a method that worked for me and resulted in clean tubes in a minimal amount of time.

Squid salad and a Villa Maria Sav Blanc for tea, yummmm. We sat and watched an amazing sunset as we ate tea. Life really doesn’t get any better than this.

Carly, my ‘Happy Camper’ coffee mug is working a treat  🙂  Thank you  🙂

Monday 8 April 2013 Port Victoria

Another beautiful day in Port Vic, blue skies and sunshine. 🙂

We have decided to give up on Telstra for this holiday, I think Deb is enjoying the sport of  ‘Find the 3G point in the van!’ It seems to wander around, and some of the points she has found that have a 3G signal are bizaar, I worry about how she came to find the place in the van. 🙂

Deb had a quiet morning in the van reading, and I set out in my kayak from the beach in front of the van (down a fairly steep slope), and paddled down to the rocky outcrops near the boat ramp, about a 30 min paddle. Tom suggested this spot as a good place for squid and Garfish.

I got down there no problem, dropped my sand bag anchor and landed my first squid of the day with my second cast. I thought I was in for a big morning. Alas, this wasn’t to be. I tried a few different spots around the rocks with no luck. Eventually I decided to drift back towards the jetty and fish on my way back. I caught 2 more squid on the way back. So after my 2 1/2 hours out on the water I had something to show for it.

I think I have this squid cleaning thing down pat. I can now clean and skin the squid to bring back clean white tubes to Deb’s satisfaction. She is a demanding task master in this. LOL 🙂

We had a very delicous lunch. Mushrooms and blue cheese, with eggs on fried sour dough toast. Yum

I went out onto the jetty for a few hours in the afternoon and got another six squid. We are building up a nice store of squid in the freezer.

To finish off our seafood free day, we had lasagne and salad for tea, with a glass or 2 of Shaw and Smith Sav Blanc while watching the sunset behind Wardang Island, a cloudless sky, but still a great sunset.

Tuesday 9 April 2013  Port Victoria

Yes, another blue sky, warm day, doing it tough again!

Deb had a quiet morning in the van reading and I went out fishing on the jetty. On the way out to the jetty I passed an old guy who I have chatted with a bit, and he said he had caught 4 squid this morning (the most he has got in a week), and then said (as he saw I was just heading out) , that he was going to go back to his van and watch the sea level drop as I started catching some more!  LOL

Other than the odd leather jacket, I haven’t seen any fish caught here until this morning. Just as I got out to the end of the jetty a woman pulled in a small snook, about 30cm. As the morning went on she got a few smallish whiting and few fish I haven’t seen before.

I was a bit put out this morning, when I got to the end of the jetty my ‘Secret spot’, lol, had been taken, so I had to try another area to fish from. I hooked onto a steady number of squid as the morning went by, but had 3 good size squid drop off my line as I was hauling them up to the jetty. I finished up with 6, and was happy with that. I got back to the van and after I had cleaned the squid, Deb had made up a delicous Cheese Platter for lunch. Yes, we are doing it tough again!!

After lunch I took Aiko out for a walk to calm her down/tire her out for the afternoon, so Deb could relax and read, without having Aiko demanding her full attention, while I went fishing. We have put all this mornings catch in the freezer, so the pressure was on for me to catch tonights tea!

It was pretty windy out on the jetty, but that didn’t deter the hardy fisho’s here. I caught my first one for the afternoon about 15 mins after I started. It was pretty reliable fishing this afternoon, averaging about 1 squid every 20 to 30mins. There was a time where I got 3 or 4 in a big hurry, had 2 hooked up at the same time on different rods at one point. :-), but I managed. 🙂

I came back around 4:15, and thought I had 6 or 7, maybe more but I was unsure. After I got back from cleaning them all, (that’s a back breaking job!!) I was pleased to tell Deb that I had actually caught 9. She was very surprised that I had under counted!! 🙂 but very happy I had caught enough for tea, and freeze a few more meals.

I’m sitting here outside the van, typing this entry up, sipping on a Corona, listening to the waves wash up on the shore (yes, even without my hearing aids in I can hear the waves, must be bloody loud for everyone else!) and the sun is slowly getting ready to set. I love this simple life. 🙂  And feel so lucky I can enjoy it with Deb, and Aiko. Life is Very good.

Guess what, it’s Squid and salad for tea tonight, just for a change, looking out over the water to a beautiful sunset, . 🙂

And the waves just keep rolling in. 🙂

10 April 2013

Our day started as usual, with a really good sleep in, we have both been waking around 7:30 most days. And as usual it was a fanastic day outside, with clear skies and a warm day ahead.

Today is our last full day here, we leave for home tomorrow morning, 🙁   but I guess it had to come sooner or later. I think Deb is ready to go home, but I could stay here for weeks.

I worked out yesterday that I had caught a total of 42 squid so far, so my aim for the day was to get to the magic half century.

I got out onto the jetty at about 9am and all the ‘good’ spots had already been taken. I made the most of it and tried a few spots on the jetty that I hadn’t tried before, and now I know why. The word from a few locals was that the calm conditions and ultraclear water wasn’t a good mix for fishing, and particularly squidding. I finished the morning with a measely 2 squid, and was a bit worried I wouldn’t make the 50.

We had another cheese platter for lunch, so delicous. Deb is going a bit stir crazy, I think Aiko is being a bit of a handful for her. But she insisted I go back out in the afternoon, what a woman! 🙂

I was back out on the jetty around 1pm and by 2pm had my favourite spot, the righthand corner at the end of the jetty (but don’t tell anyone!!). It didn’t take long and I had my first for the afternoon, quickly followed by my 2nd. With the squid coming through every 45 mins or so, by 4pm I had 8 more in my bucket, giving me 52 for the 5 days we were here. I was VERY happy I broke the 50 mark and now I know what I am doing when it comes to squid fishing (well from jetties anyway) and I can confidently clean them to Deb’s high standards, without making a mess of them.

Just to be different we had Deb’s Tuna Mornay for tea, it was delicious. After dinner we started the process of packing up while we had some daylight and then retired for the night.

Mum got home from her ‘Arabian Dreams Cruise’ and Dubai. She had an amazing time and I hope it spurs her onto more adventures.

I guess that almost wraps up this short, but very enjoyable trip up to Port Vic on the Yorke Peninsula.

11 April 2013

Our last morning up here for the time being. 🙂

I had a funny night last night, I dreamt about squidding all night! 😛

We were back into our routine and had the van all packed up and cleaned on the inside (Deb did a great job as usual) and were away around 9:30.

We had an easy drive back.

Deb summed it all up very well, as we were getting closer to Adelaide, the Sat Nav all of a sudden showed this “Spider Web” of roads going everywhere, very confronting. Before that we had a very simple straight line on the map. Guess it sums up the holiday so well, we both really enjoy the simple things in life.

We have a busy afternoon/ evening ahead. We pick up Ella and Ethan from school at 3pm, go to their place and get Hanna, and then bring them all back to our place. Tonight we are having, yes you guessed it, Squid salad for tea. And we are sharing it with Ella, Ethan, Kieran, Carly and Brian.

Nothing like diving in at the deep end! Ahhhh, the quiet life. 🙂

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